Saturday 14 December 1661

All the morning at home lying in bed with my wife till 11 o’clock. Such a habit we have got this winter of lying long abed. Dined at home, and in the afternoon to the office. There sat late, and so home and to bed.

12 Annotations

First Reading

Bob T  •  Link

Such a habit we have got this winter of lying long abed.

This entry brought back some uncomfortable memories of when I was a kid in England. The Brits at that time, and maybe still do, subscribed to the idea that if something is uncomfortable, or painful, then it must be character building. Hence unheated bedrooms, and cold water to wash in.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"Such a habit we have got this winter of lying long abed."

With Elisabeth as companion, utterly understandable...

vicenzo  •  Link

Saturday morns great pleasure, why get ones tootsies cccccccold, when one has such a cumfortable hot toastie wee pie to share lifes creature comforts with.

Pauline  •  Link

"...of lying long abed..."
And with the servants out of the bed and about their daily tasks, a great pleasure--more room, more intimacy.

Australian Susan  •  Link

"unheated bedrooms"
As a child & teenager in England in the '50s & 60s, I only ever had a heater in my bedroom if I was ill - until I was 15. Memories of thick ice on the inside of the windows, chilblains, scurrying into my parents' bedroom to dress by their fire, freezing passages between rooms with coal fires and wearing gloves and a hat in order to read in bed! Even now the smell of paraffin (kerosene) makes me think of illness because it was a paraffin heater in my room if ill.(not really quite the same league as Proust's Madeleine, is it?). Staying in bed because of the cold continued with the rural poor in England for centuries - there's a passage in Anne Bronte's 'The Tenent of Wildfell Hall" when Gilbert has to rouse a cottager out of bed for directions showing that the Brontes were aware of the plight of the poor - often laid off in winter & with no reason to get up early. One gets the feeling that Sam *was* rather enjoying himself lying in bed and felt guilty about it!

andy  •  Link

All the morning at home lying in bed with my wife till 11 o'clock.

can’t beat it!

Pedro.  •  Link

England in the '50s & 60s.

Much different now. Warmer and wetter winters, hardly any ice and snow, and no excuse to stop in bed.

vicenzo  •  Link

Our Sam missed a bit of _'unting with His Majesty.
Evelyn John did say today "I saw Otter hunting with his Majestie & killed one:"

vicenzo  •  Link

Today 2 bills came up: One: the Duke of Norfolk [the No 1 catholic layman] got his status restored and two : don't melt yer silver coins.
Bill presented to prevent the melting of Silver Coin.
The Earl of Bridgwater reported from the Committee, the Bill against melting of Silver Coin, as fit to pass, with some Amendments and Alterations; which are offered to their Lordships Consideration.
The said Alterations were read Twice, and the Debate put off until some other Time.
The House was adjourned during Pleasure, and the Lords went to the Conference; which being ended, the House was resumed.

From: British History Online
Source: House of Lords Journal Volume 11: 14 December 1661. Journal of the House of Lords: volume 11, ().
URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…
Date: 16/12/2004

vicenzo  •  Link

"... unheated bedrooms, and cold water to wash in..." how about unheated houses and unheated water to to shower with, and a WC with Ice in the bowl.

Pedro.  •  Link

"I saw Otter hunting with his Majestie & killed one:"

Something that her Majestie cannot do now. The otter is seen as an emblem for nature conservation in UK rivers. Not banned until 1978, after decline due to persecution and pesticides. But now making a slow come back.

Second Reading

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